Hey George,
When I began my move to scratch builds, Ken Cierp was kind enough to put together partial kits for me. He sent me everything but the top, back and sides as I was not carving my own necks. I am not sure if Ken still wishes to be in that business, but he sent me three partial kits about 2 years ago.
I buy my backs and sides from several sources, but I don't use LMI or Stew Mac.
Here is a list of a few places I have used for backs and sides:
Gallery Hardwoods (Pretty much out of business now as the owner has retired, but he was a great guy to work with)
eBay- lots of stuff from eBay
RC Tonewood and Sons
Aaron Hix tonewood
Darren Hippner (eBay seller, but he does build nice looking guitars as well)
I have also acquired a lot of wood from the classified sections of various forums.
I have only purchased sound boards from SpruceTonewood in BC.
The cost to resaw your own wood is pretty high. You need a large bandsaw properly set up for the task. A new saw big enough for the job will set you back at least $1000. If you are like me, and you plan to build 2-3 guitars a year, AND the person buying the guitar will be paying for the materials, there is little reason to buy a big bandsaw. I might get a small table top saw one day, but I don't see myself cutting my own back and side sets. Plus, I have made some good friendships through this hobby and I have had plenty of people offer to resaw wood for me should the need arise. I bought some koa billets on eBay last year, had them shipped to a friend in Ohio who sliced them up for me, then sent them to me. Total cost ended up at about $7.00 per slice of wood for mildly curly koa. You can see pics of a ukulele I built using that koa on page 7 of this thread:
http://www.acousticguitarconstructionfo ... 1&start=60
Yes. It was a good investment and cutting it up saved me big bucks, BUT, buying a saw for $1200 or more would have seriously cut into the profit margins!!
Trust does play a big role in a transaction like that, but luthiers seem to be a pretty trust worthy bunch, save for a few bad apples.
I only build 2-3 guitars a year, and they are commissions. In fact, all but two of my guitars have been commissions. As such, the wood was always paid for by someone else. If I were a working luthier, building for a living, I would certainly consider a band saw to be a tool I could not live without. But in my current role as a hobby builder who sells his guitars, I am content to let someone else cut up my wood. And, if you ever find a block of wood you absolutely NEED to have cut into backs and sides, here is a link to a company that has worked with luthiers in the past and so they know what they are doing when they resaw your blocks:
http://www.borsonresaw.com/pages/maximum.html
Good luck to you whatever you decide!!